Weather & Technical Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

[lbaspotter]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

Yet more bad news for passengers.

Doncaster-Sheffield to now remain snow closed until 10:00am Monday 06/12/10...

Source: http://www.robinhoodairport.com/

Robin Hood Airport

IMPORTANT INFORMATION - Weather Update

Last Updated Saturday 4th December 2010 at 2.15pm

Due to recent adverse weather conditions, Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield is expected to remain closed until 10.00am Monday 6th December 2010 whilst the clear up operation continues.

Passengers due to fly should check the latest information about their route directly with the Airline or Tour Operator before setting off for the airport.

For airline and tour operator contact details, please click here.

 

[Aviador]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

Look at the Facebook group, most saying they will never fly from DSA again.

Very damaging - a group viewed by 505 people, with about 50 comments, from about 10 people.
🙄

Yes, Facebook is very influential in making a non-X Factor Christmas No.1 happen, but causing serious damage to a regional airports passengers, no.

I agree.

People have a very short term memory these days, this will all be forgotten soon enough.

 

[gilly]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

Slightly better news

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Last Updated Sunday 5th December 2010 at 1.15pm

Staff at Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield hope to have the airport open at approximately 14:00hrs today and are working to ensure delayed TOM3722 to Arrecife departs

Passengers due to fly should check the latest information about their route directly with the Airline or Tour Operator before setting off for the airport.

For airline and tour operator contact details, please click here.

Next update due at 2:00pm Sunday 5th December 2010

 

[ryan]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

It is now open and said flight to Arrecife departed at about 1430 :good:

 

[lbaspotter]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

BE1164 from Jersey has diverted to LBA

 

[lbaspotter]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

Wizz Air, Airbus A320 HA-LPJ is currently diverting into LBA now operating the WZZ129L from Katowice to Doncaster-Sheffield

 

[ryan]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

It may be that, given it was originally predicted to be a Monday re-opening, airlines had already arranged with passengers to depart from Leeds.

 

[lbaspotter]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

It may be that, given it was originally predicted to be a Monday re-opening, airlines had already arranged with passengers to depart from Leeds.

Dont think that was the reason. It sounds like it may have more to do with the ice laying on the runway. The Wizz had held overhead DSA for between 30 to 40 mins doing about 5 race course laps around the curcuit before deciding to a divert to LBA. The flybe came stright to Leeds while the first inbound easyjet A319 also diverted to Manchester.

 

[muddycoffee]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

Just some more evidence at how unusually bad the current weather is in our region. The weight of the snow and ice on my roof has ripped off my guttering and the facia board from the top of my house. It was a good job nobody was walking along the pavement as half a ton of ice, timber and house fell down.
I woke up to -8c this morning, tonight I have seen -7c in my back garden already and a colleague of mine who lives in the Leeds region said that it was far worse in sheffield this morning.

 

[ryan]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

-13 in Doncaster at the moment! Going to be fun tomorrow morning!

 

[Aviador]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

Sorry to hear about your guttering and facias Muddycoffee. It's not the sort of out-going you need just before Christmas. Anyway, regarding runway snow clearance.

I don't know what equipment DSA uses to clear it's runway but these types of brushes are used at most airports.

"Our conscientious commitment to R&D has made it possible for customers to clear a 3,500 m long runway in 10 minutes. Mechanical snowclearing with brushes and a high-powered air stream also reduce the need for costly, environmentally harmful chemicals."

http://www.europlastgroup.com/runway-sweepers.htm

Clearway Deicer Fluid is the most popular runway deicer which "can be used to de-ice runways down to a temperature of -22'c."
http://www.airport-technology.com/contr ... g/verdugt/

So it would seem that DSA may not have had sufficient equipment or deicer fluid to do the job, hence the delay in getting the runway re-open.

Is there nobody on the DSA forum that perhaps works at the airport or knows somebody that works there that could shed some light on what went wrong?

 

[pug]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

Just recorded -10 in my car, has been even worse before tonight. Worst ive known it!

 

[White Heather]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

I drove from Leeds to Grimsby yesterday and it was -10c at Thorne, on the M18, although the depth of snow was no different anywhere on the route, to what it was in Leeds after the heavy snow last Wednesday. The frost was something else though - very severe indeed.

Aviador, you may well have a point and it would be great if someone could shed light on why it took DSA so long to clear the runway. It cannot be down to the depth of snow only. Snow clearing equipment (if sufficient exists at DSA) should surely be able to cope with any reasonable depth, especially if clearing is commenced as soon as possible. Based on what I had at home (2 miles from LBA) we had around 18 inches by Wednesday, with around 9 inches falling on that day. LBA had cleared the runway previously on a couple of occasions, so they presumably cleared around another 9 inches or so on Wednesday allowing the airport to be open by Thursday morning.

At DSA the runway was closed from Wednesday until Sunday, but from what I have seen elsewhere on the forum, the runway was actually closed again due to ice on the runway, later on Sunday, resulting in further diversions. There had been no snow and you would not expect a runway to be closed again due to ice forming only a few hours after being cleared, and given the availability of anti icing fluid.

 

[lbaspotter]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

Wizz Airbus A320, HA-LPN has just diverted into Leeds operating the WZZ429Z from Warsaw.

Dont know the reason why? But I know he did'nt even hold overhead this time. He went stright to LBA

 

[pug]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

They certainly are'nt doing themselves any favours at DSA.

 

[DonnyLad]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

Alot more cancellations and diversions today.
This is very worrying.

 

[lbaspotter]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

Not looking good down at DSA today again.

Flybe services BE1164/1165 From/To Jersey & BE263/264 From/To Belfast City have both been Cancelled.

Thomson Airways service TOM3261 from Alicante has Diverted into East Midlands while the TOM3244 to Tenerife and TOM3260 to Alicante are also operating outbound from East Midlands.

Wizz Air flight WZZ429 From Warsaw diverted to Leeds while the outbound WZZ430 has been Cancelled and the aircraft has positioned back empty as WZZ9430 to Warsaw direct.

Easyjet flight EZY7424/7423 From/To Amsterdam has now also just been Cancelled

By way this is the latest notam that is out for DSA at the moment.

SNOWTAM
FROM: 10/12/06 21:21 A) EGCN B) 12062121 C) 02 F) 27/27/27 J) 200/21/LR K) YES LR T) RWY, APRON AND TWY C OPEN. TWY A AND B CLOSED. CAT 1 ONLY FOR RWY 20 DUE TO ONLY 90 PERCENT RUNWAY LIGHTING VISIBLE. )

To me that says the Taxiways A & B are both closed and only CAT 1 ILS is availabe on runway 20 which is in use due to some of the runway lighting needed for CAT 2 & 3 approaches still not been visiable becasue off the snow thats still to be cleared.

 

[Hull City Fan]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

Thomson Airways flight TOM3227 from Malaga is also to divert into Leeds Bradford - eta 19:28

 

[ryan]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

A lot of the pilots aren't qualified/have experience for the weather conditions currently being observed at DSA which is why there are still flights being diverted/cancelled. Plus CATIII landing can't be made at the moment.

 

[pug]

Re: Diversions, Delays & Cancellations

HUY is open, and has only CATI, so thats a debatable reason.